Lock



Aug. 1, 1950 M, s, ELMER 2,517,185

LUCK Filed Sept. 11, 1947 INVENTbR. R EN EJ- MiR kd m ATTORNEY l atented Aug. 1, 1 950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCK Morgan S.:Elmer, Central VallemlN. Y. Application September 11, 1947,-*SerialNo. 7739171 9 Claims. (01. 292-430) This invention relates, in general, to improvements in locksfor sliding and swinging doors and similar closuresand deals, more particularly, with an improved bolt type of :lock comprising :a latch having a lever operating means for easily and quickly actuating the latch and drawing the door or other closuretightly shut together with means providing a positive lock of the latch in tightly drawn position but capable of ready release for quick and expeditious opening of the door or other closure.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an improved, highly simplified lock of this character in a compact, unitary assembly of parts comprising a Sliding and/or swinging bolt or latch member which is actuated by an operating lever with ease and facility to draw up the latch for securing the door or other closure in tightly shut position.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a lock construction having a, positive lock for the latch or bo'ltintightened, drawn-up position comprising a pawl and ratchet means associated with the operating lever.

Another object of theinvention is to providea lock of the kind described having means which may be employed for sealing the look by a padlock'orother sealingdevice.

A further object of "the invention is to provide an improved lock having all the foregoing features of construction, and which comprises a strong, durable and fool-proof assembly which is relatively simple in construction and therefore, maybe manufactured at comparatively low cost.

Further objects and advantages of the invention, and "other new and useful features 'in the construction, arrangement and general combination of parts of the invention will be readily apparent as the "following description 'proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout, and in which Fig. 1 is aside elevational view of the improved lock construction in accordance with the invention, with the associated door For other closure represented in section;

Fig. 2 is .a sectional view of Fig. 1 as seen along line 2--2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal .sectional view of Fig. ,1 showing the improved lock construction in top plan, with the door frame and associated door or other closure represented in section; and,

Fig. 4 is .a sectional view of Fig. 1 taken along line 44, "looking .in the direction of the arrows,

and sh'owingthe attachment of the auxiliary eye lug "for locking the operating lever or forisealing the lock=whenadeslred "mhe improved lock of the invention is one of general utilityand has a wides'ange and variety o'iapp'lications :an'd uses as a lock' for either sliding :or :swingingidoors, particularly in heavy duty installations such ias,' ior:example, a sliding door of a refrigerator car, :or, a swinging door of :a garage or barn or the like, by waypf illustration.

Referring now, more particularly, to :the drawings, the improved lockis il-lustrated inva typical mounting which may be provided in anystructure comprising-:1 frame I, having a suitable stop or :seat for the free end of a sliding or swinging door I3, :or othericlosure. The-door 3 is provided in any suitable manner with a :s'tap1e 5, or the like, which is adapted to be hooked or otherwise engaged by the latch memberof the lockmechanism in drawing the door tightly shut and securing "-thedoor in such tightly shut position. In the present example, the staple 5 is shown in Fig. 1 asattachedtothedoor 3 in a fiushniounting provided by fa suitable cutout '4 in the door and preferably 'in liush relation thereto 'so that thestaple does not constitute a dangerous projection nor :become an obstacle in the path of a sliding .door. Thestaple :is shown as one which is riveted at itsendsto au'iangie 16 that is suitably fastened .at theuouter face :of the door '3, as by screwsl, with thelbodyof said istaple 5 extending through the "cutout '4 'to the inner face of the dOOI".

The lock mechanism comprises a simplified, unitary assembly of ipartson :a base :plate 10 which is attached to the cfname I iin-any suitable manner asby screws H. lArseries of ratchet teeth H! are provided by notches along an upper edge of saidbase plate l-ll or in an equivalent arrangement by :a ratchet strip united to said base plate in the same general relation.

Anoperating lever lfiihavingiaihandle I6 is pivotally mounted on the base plate 1 I] as by a headed pin ll peened iniaicountersunkholein said base plate. -A pivoted [pawl 20 (is carried by the operating lever 1'5 on the inner side or face thereof with the extremity-or tongue of said pawl in position for selective engagement "with said ratchet teeth l3 on the base plate. The pawl so is piviotally mounted to the operating lever 15 preferably by a rotary pintle having a wing head 22 which may ,be easily manipulated :by the fingers of the user to :turn the pawl 2-!) :into or out of engagement with the ratchet teeth I53 in the op- 5 eration of the look. as presently to the described.

if desired, the pawl 20 may be provided with a biasing spring such as a light coil spring or a leaf spring urging the pawl to engaging position with the ratchet teeth l3 but capable of yielding readily under turning force on the wing head 22 to permit said pawl to be disengaged from the ratchet teeth when the lock is to be released. The pawl 2i) is thus pivotally carried on the inner side or face of the pivoted operating lever I5, and on the opposite outer'side or face of said lever, a bolt or latch 3% is pivotally mounted by a pin 3! in a manner whereby said latch 36 is adapted for a combined swinging and sliding motion in the general plane thereof.

The latch 30 is provided with a suitable weight 33 on its rearward free end and a pronounced hook 35 on its forward end adapted to engage and connect with the staple 5 as shown in Fig. 1.

4 in the base plate Ill in a manner to position said eye lug 42 in alignment with the eye lug 4| carried by the operating lever. The eye lug 42 otherwise defines a stop preventing any forward movement of the operating lever l5 and the associated latch 36 in the direction toward removal of the hook 35 from connected engagement with the staple 5. In this relation, the eye lug 42 adds to the locking action on the operating lever it provided by the pawl 20 in engagement with the ratchet teeth 53, as aforesaid. In a further relav tion, the lug 42 as selectively applied to any of The motion of the latch is controlled and guided by a slotted guide element 36 having a slot through which the latch. 25 reciprocates in the swinging and sliding motion thereof, as aforesaid. The slotted guide 36 may be formed from an integral outwardlyybent projection on the base plate H3 or by a similarelement welded to the base plate in an equivalent relation. In any event, the endsof the slot in said guide element 36 define an upper guide shoulder 31 and a, lower guide shoulder 38 disposed at the opposite side edges of said latch 3!].

l The latch 30 is provided on its lower edge, in the manner of a cam surface 34 adapted for sliding engagement with the lower guide shoulder 38 of the guide element 35. The said cam surface 35 is. so designedas to effect a predetermined motionfor release of the latch from secured position in a manner whereby the hook 35 is forced upwardly to clear the staple 5 and is thereby properly positioned for separation, from said staple, whereupon the latch is drawn rearwardly by the operating, lever 15 to fully retracted positionin the operation of the lock, as presently to be described. sliding .reciprocatory motion of the latch 30 otherwise is controlled and guided along the lower edge of .the latch by the sliding contact of the cam edge 34 with the lower guide shoulder 38,

defined by the slot in the guide element 35.

Along similar lines, when the hook 35 is disengaged-from the staple in releasing the lock, the latch istilted by theweighted end 33 thereof, whereupon the latch is guided in its rearward movement by the sliding engagement of the upperiedge-t f the latch'with theupper guide shoulder 3'! of said guide; In the fully retracted position of the latch, as represented in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the head of the hook 35, is adapted to rest against said upper guide shoulder 31. The sidewallsof said slot in the guide element 36 are adapted to engage the side faces of the latch in its reciprocatory motion to guide the same and otherwise prevent any undue lateral movement thereof out of its normal path for proper engagement of the hook 35 with the staple 5.

The lock assembly described is a complete and operative mechanism in itself, and when desired, may be readily provided with means for sealing the same by a padlock or other sealing means. To. this end, the operating lever is provided with an outwardly projecting eye lug M which may be either an integral formation on said lever or a separate element united thereto, as by welding, for example. -A cooperating eye lug 42, Fig. 4, is provided with a projecting stud 43 which is removablyxinsertable in anyo'f a-s'eries of holes M The combined swinging and.

the series of holes 44, in the base plate ill, Fig. 1,

. may be used as a stop lug for holding the operating lever l5 in the locked position of the latch 30 in place of the pawl 20 and the associated ratchet teeth !3. In any case, in the locked position of the latch, the eye lug 42 is aligned with the eye lug ll on the operating lever l5 in a manner whereby a padlock or other sealing device may be passed through the aligned openings in said eye lugs M, 42, to seal the lock. The removable auxiliary eye lug 42, Fig. 4, is a separate device as described, and preferably is attached to the base plate Ii! or adjacent structure by a chain or cord 46 secured to an eyelet 41 thereon and to the base plate It or adjacent structure in any suitable way as by a similar eyelet 48. The eye lug d2 normally is removed from any of the holes 44 in the base plate I0, Fig. 1, so that the operating lever I5 is free to pivot forwardly and. rearwardly as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 in the ordinary usage of the lock. However, when it is desired to seal the lock with the various parts thereof in the position represented in the full lines in Fig. 1, the said auxiliary eye lug 42 is attached in the selected hole 44 and a padlock or equivalent applied to the aligned eye lugs 6H, 42, to seal the lock, as aforesaid.

In the operation and use of the lock, it will be understood from the foregoing that with the auxiliary eye lug 42 removed from the position shown in Fig. 1, the operating lever l5, latch 38 and pawl 20 carried thereby are disposed in retracted, unlocked position substantially as represented in broken lines. To secure the lock, the handle [6 is grasped to move forwardly as far as possible the lever i5 and the pivotally attached latch 39 to the position in which the hook 35 on said latch is in overlying relation to the staple 5 and may be readily hooked onto said staple. The latch 30, accordingly, is pushed downwardly to connect said hook 35 with the staple 5, and is then tightened, or drawn-up in such connected engagement with the staple 5 by a reverse move ment of the latch 30 which is effected by a rearward pull on the operating lever l5. When the latch 3%] has been sufficiently drawn up to tighten the hook suitably and thereby tightly shut the door 3, the operating lever is positively locked against loosening or release of the hook from such position by engagement of the pawl 20 with the effective ratchet tooth on the ratchet I3. This is accomplished by turning the associated wing head 22 or, automatically, by a suitable spring for urging the pawl into engagement with the ratchet, as aforesaid.

-An equivalent locking of the operating lever 15 may be effected by the eye lug 42 in lieu of or supplementary to the pawl and ratchet elements 20, i3, respectively. In this regard, the stud'43 of said eye lug A2 is inserted into the effective hole M, in the base plate iii depending on the aforesaid drawn-up tightening position of the operat-. ing lever I5. The eye lug 42, accordingly, is in abutting. engagement with the eye :lug M on the lever to prevent movement of said lever in the forward direction toward release or loosening of the hook at from the staple 15. The-openings in the eye lugs 41!, 42, are alignedin any such position, "whereupon a padlock or mother lsealing device may beapplied tothealigned eye lugs 'to seal theiock. r

Release :Of the dock .is easily and quicklyle'fiected simply be removing .theleye lug 42 landldisengagin the pawl :20 from illhe ratchet '13, whereupon the lever I is moved forwardly as necessary for the Shook 1:35 .to disengage and clear the staple 5. This is facilitated in such forward movement of the latch 3!) by the engagement of the cam surface .34 :on said latch with the lower guide shoulder 38 which quickly initiates the lifting of, the hook 35 from connected relation with said staple 5. The weight 33 on the rearward end of the latch is then efiective to complete the lifting of the hook drum the staple and otherwise clear the hook from said staple, whereuponthe operating lever is pulled rearwardly to move said lever and the associated latch to retnactediposition substantially .as shown by broken lines inFig. l. The door *3 is then free .to slide or swing open and when subsequently shutand it is desired to lock and/:or 3882.1 thesame, it is easily and quickly secured by the improved lock of the presentinvention in a repetition .of the foregoing described procedure. 1 a

While the invention has been described in detail with a specific example, such example is intended as an illustration only, since it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications in the construction, arrangement and general combination of parts may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than b the foregoing description, with all changes falling within the scope, meaning, and range of equivalency of the claims intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a lock, a locking mechanism comprising a base plate, an operating lever pivotally attached to said plate, a latch having a cam guiding surface, said latch being pivotally mounted on said lever and adapted to be moved to securing and released positions by said lever, means for holding said lever in various positions in which said latch is secured to prevent release of said latch when in securing position, and a guide member on said plate having a guide slot receiving said latch and defining a guide shoulder on which said cam guiding surface on the latch is adapted to ride in the releasing of a latch.

2. In a lock, a locking mechanism comprising a base plate having a ratchet element, an operating lever pivotally attached to said plate, a latch having a cam guiding surface, said latch being pivotally mounted on said lever and adapted to be moved to securing and released positions by said lever, a guide member on said plate having a guide slot receiving said latch and defining a guide shoulder on which said cam guiding surface on the latch is adapted to ride in the releasing of the latch, and means for holding said lever in various positions in which said latch is secured to prevent release of said latch when in Securing position, said means comprising a pawl on l the. operating lever engageable with: said ratchetelementron'therbase plate. 1

I3. In a lock, aflockingamechanism.comprisin a base plate having a ratchet element, an operating lever pivotallyiattached-to said *base plate, a latch leaving a downwardly and rearwardl directed hook on one end, a weight on theother end and a cam guiding surtace, lsaidrllatch ibeing' pivotally mounted-on said sleverand adapted to be moved to securing and released positions by saidilever, a. guidelmember on said plate havinga guide slot .receiving said latch and defining a guide shoulder on which saidcam guiding surtace ion the latch is adapted to r'ide in the releasinglof said ihooklonlthe latchand means tor holding .said lever in various positions in which .said latch is secured to prevent "release of said latch when in securing position, said means comprising .a pawl on the operating lever engageable with :sai ratchetelement onthe base plate.

4; In a dock, a "locking mechanism comprising a base plate, an operating lever havinga pivot to :said :basefplate and extendin generally. vertically in :said iock, .a iaitch upivotally mounted on said lever above its pivotto the hase plate extending generally horizontally invsaid "look; said latch having ax-downwardly and rearwardly directedihook adapted towengage a keeper tin locking position and having a '"weightonione end lifor automatically tilting said latch out of locking position when releasedby said 1evcr, andmean :1or holding said lever against movement when said latch is secured.

5. In a lock, a locking mechanism comprising a base plate, an operating lever havin a pivot to said base plate and extending generally vertically in said lock, a latch pivotally mounted on said lever above its pivot to the base plate extending generally horizontally in said lock, said latch having a downwardly and rearwardly directed hook adapted to engage a keeper in locking position and having a weight on one end for automatically tilting said latch out of locking position when released by said lever, and means for holding the lever in various positions in which said latch is secured.

6. In a. look, a locking mechanism comprisin a base plate having a ratchet element, an operating lever having a pivot to said base plate and extending generally vertically in said lock, a latch pivotally mounted on said lever above its pivot to the base plate extending generally horizontally in said lock, said latch having a downwardly and rearwardly directed hook adapted to engage a keeper in locking position and having a weight on one end for automatically tilting said latch out of lockin position when released by said lever, and means for holding the lever in various positions in which said latch is secured comprising a pawl carried by said lever and engageable with said ratchet element on the base plate.

'7. In a look, a locking mechanism comprising a base plate, an operating lever having a pivot to said base plate and extending generally vertically in said lock, a latch pivotally mounted on said lever above its pivot to the base plate and extending generally horizontally in said lock, said latch having on one end a cam guiding surface and a downwardly and rearwardly directed hook adapted to engage a keeper in securing position, and a weight on the other end for automatically tilting said latch out of securing position when released by said lever, a guide member on said plate having a guide slot receiving said latch and defining a guide shoulder on which said cam guiding surface on the latch isadapted toridein the releasing of said latch, and means for holding said lever against movement when said latch is secured.

8. In a lock, a lockingmechanism comprising a base plate, an operating lever having a pivot to said base plate and extending generally vertically in said lock, a latch pivotally mounted on said lever above its pivot to the base plate and extending generally horizontall in said lock, said latch having on one end a cam guiding surface and a downwardly and rearwardly directed hook adapted to engage a keeper in securing position, and a weight on the other end for automatically tilting said latch out of securing position when released by said lever, a guide member on said plate having a guide slot receiving said latch and defining a guide shoulder on which said cam guiding surface on the latch is adapted to ride in the releasing of said latch, and means for holding said keeper in securing position, and a weighton the other end for automatically tilting said" latch out of secured position when released by said lever, a guide member on said plate having a guide slot receiving said latch and defining a guide shoulder on which said cam guiding surface on the latch is adapted to ride in the releasing of said latch, and means for holding said lever in various positions in which said latch is secured comprising a pawl on the operating lever engageable with said ratchet element on the base plate.

MORGAN S. ELMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATEN TS Number Name Date 708,530 Chafier Sept. 9, 1902 1,057,995 Bull Apr. 1, 1913 1,231,135 Dempsey June 26, 1917 1,232,872 Welch July 10', 1917 1,253,169 Goodsell Jan. 8, 1918 1,260,469 Smith Mar. 26, 1918 1,364,749 Graybeal Jan. 4, 1921 1,692,726 Estabrooks Nov. 20, 1928 1,831,588 Clark Nov. 10, 1931 1,871,580 Beadle Aug. 16, 1932 Apple May 11, 1937 

